Remembering Ruth Shea

A woman standing on the side of a road holding a camera.

 “She was a force for good who sought to protect the vulnerable, whether that was a person, an animal, a species, or an ecosystem. Ruth spent over 40 years studying the North American populations of trumpeter swans and helping to mobilize and guide the efforts that succeeded in restoring migratory populations.” (from her obituary)       Ruth…

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Avian Influenza Updates

A flock of birds standing on top of a dry grass field.

Wild aquatic birds including gulls, terns, and shorebirds, and wild waterfowl such as ducks, geese and swans are considered reservoirs (natural hosts) for avian influenza (AI). Most wild birds infected with bird flu viruses are asymptomatic (i.e., do not exhibit signs or symptoms of illness). The waterbirds being found with AI have tested positive for…

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SWANS ARE ARRIVING IN WESTERN WASHINGTON

A flock of birds swimming in the water.

Trumpeter and Tundra Swans are in full migration mode coming out of their Alaska and western Canada breeding grounds. The Tundra Swans are expected to be arriving or moving through both eastern and western Washington at this time of year. The Trumpeter Swans are about 2-3 weeks early in western Washington than in recent years. Most…

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Report A Swan

A swan with a tag on its neck in the water.

Citizens like you are vital to swan conservation. You can help us learn about migration routes, rest stops, and wintering areas throughout our state for both Trumpeter and Tundra Swans.  We share new sightings with swan managers at the state and flyway levels. It is exciting to learn about new areas where our native swans…

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About BirdNote

A flock of swans swimming in the water.

BirdNote is a public media program that brings a short, two-minute show every day – the way you want to listen – on the air, via podcast, online at BirdNote.org and through social media. These two episodes are on Washington’s Swans featuring Martha Jordan, Executive Director of NW Swan Conservation Association. Swans Benefit from Bob…

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TRUMPETER SWANS FROM 1981

A flock of birds flying over water near a house.

Historical photo of Trumpeter Swans from 1981 at Big Lake near Mt. Vernon, WA. At that time about 400 Trumpeter Swans wintered in this area with about an equal number of Tundra Swans. Now there are about 9,000 swans in this same area. A testament to collaborative work with government agencies, farmers, citizens and nongovernmental…

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